East Africa Posthttps://www.eastafricapost.com
News & Updates from East AfricaSat, 25 May 2019 08:29:52 +0000en-US
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1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.2.1Best 3 Safari Vehicles for Long Trips in Ugandahttps://www.eastafricapost.com/travel/vehicles-for-long-uganda-trips/
https://www.eastafricapost.com/travel/vehicles-for-long-uganda-trips/#respondSat, 25 May 2019 08:29:29 +0000https://www.eastafricapost.com/?p=294The most exciting adventure anyone can ever take is a safari in Uganda. Whether is a self-drive or chauffeur driven road trip, either way almost all travelers get it right. With so much to see and do, Uganda purely furnishes some of the best safari memories.

Travel like a local in Uganda on a self or driver guided tour in the pearl of Africa, having new sightings and experiences never had before. Renting a vehicle for a Uganda safari is more practical and wiser when going for a long trip. But choose a wrong vehicle, and turn your safari in Uganda into a memorable one for all the wrong reasons.

Renting an appropriate car for long distance safaris in Uganda is one of the biggest obstacles one will have to come over while putting travel plans in place. Finding a vehicle that won’t guzzle a lot of fuel and still comfortable enough for long hours of driving is not just a walk over. However. The listed cars below are the best options to consider for long trips in Uganda. Even when you opt for a long term car hire in Uganda, these vehicles are worthy renting.

Toyota Safari Vans – Super custom/ Hiace van/ Mini bus

These are the most suitable cars for family vacations or large group trips. They carry up to 14 people with enough space for luggage, depending on the number of passengers and the days to spend on a safari because the more days and larger the group, the more luggage.

Some Super customs have a pop-up roof. And these cars are available both in manual and automatic transmission. For any group safari heading to distant destinations in Uganda, these vehicles can never fail anyone.

Toyota Prado

This is one popular 4×4 car mostly used on safaris in Uganda. Whether a self-drive or a chauffeur driven safari, this vehicle would be appropriate especially for long distance trips. The Toyota Prado category includes different kinds of vehicles like the Prado TX, TZ, GX and the 3 litre Turbo, which are all so perfect for long trips in Uganda

The Toyota prado is spacious enough to allow enough luggage and camping gear to fit in properly. This is one vehicle that can even sustain on poor road conditions that travelers are likely to find on the way to some of the national parks in Uganda, it is one that goes through all terrains without fail.

These prados carry up to five people including the driver with all the comfort they would need. Surprisingly, renting a Toyota Prado in Uganda can be as low as 60 USD per day without fuel and a driver. Even bigger discounts are given for rentals that are to be taken for a long period and also during the low season.

Toyota Rav 4

This one of the best Japanese automobile compact SUVs. It is a strong comfortable car with 1990cc engine, simply powerful enough to drive to any place. Toyota Rav4 has 3 to 5 doors and is available in both manual and automatic transmission.

If it’s a long tour in Uganda, a Toyota Rav 4 would be best appropriate for its excellent fuel mileage and low cost maintenance. It is the most recommended vehicle for two people though it can carry up to five people and can be hired at as low as 35 USD per day.

Other vehicles like coasters, range rovers and smaller saloon cars can also be used for long safaris in Uganda but the above three are the most recommended ones.

]]>https://www.eastafricapost.com/travel/vehicles-for-long-uganda-trips/feed/0Rwanda Gorilla Permit Increment Bites Hard Its Economyhttps://www.eastafricapost.com/business/gorilla-permit-increment-affects-rwanda-economy/
https://www.eastafricapost.com/business/gorilla-permit-increment-affects-rwanda-economy/#respondWed, 22 May 2019 07:23:04 +0000https://www.eastafricapost.com/?p=290On 6th May 2017, all tour operators, accommodation owners and stakeholders in tourism business in East Africa heard shocking news of immediate proposal and implementation of the hiking of Rwanda Gorilla permit fees from US$ 750 to US$ 1500 each. “At first we thought it was a joke but after reading the information on the websites of Rwanda Development Board (RDB), we came to confirm it was true” revealed one of Rwanda based tour operators.

The increase did not only affect the tour operators but also the tourists who were hoping to go on Rwanda gorilla treks in future/ near future. Some of the tour operators joined hand to plead for an extension of the period to enable tour operators and tourists prepare for the new increased costs but all in vain. Some tour operators argued that, they had clients whose deposit was still in the pipeline and they were suggesting a grace period to settle their clients’ permits to avoid cancellations.

Secondly, it was a tough time for the tour operators who had received their clients’ deposit in advance but were still hesitant to purchase gorilla permits. The announcement caught them offguard.

Thirdly, the sales agents based in Kigali Rwanda who were benefiting from booking permits on behalf of other companies outside Rwanda were also totally affect since the sales started declining. It should be noted that Rwanda offers the tenth Gorilla permit free to tour operators but the increased costs was expected to affect their deal in short run but remain suspecting things to turn better in future.

Tour operators who are majorly depending on Rwanda Gorilla trekking safaris argued that, what Rwanda did was to automatically marketing Uganda Gorillas since the two countries are neighbors. And indeed, Uganda has started gaining momentum since their Gorilla permits remains at US$ 600 each.

Uganda tour operators who are competing with Rwanda tour operator found it a chance to out compete their opponents since Uganda maintained the lower cost of Gorilla permit at US$ 600 each. Uganda operators are not so affected since it’s now a matter persuading clients to trek Gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga national park.

Rwanda Development Board responded by allowing only clients’ permits which were still in the pipelines before 6th May 2017 to be purchased at the previous cost of US$750. It was done on condition that, all the clients emails sent to tour operators confirming the sending of the deposits were supposed to be sent to RDB for approval.

The State of Rwanda Tourism

According to independent research done by the East Africa Post, Rwanda’s tourism is in limbo! Many days go with gorilla permit sales not exceeding 20%. In the peak season when Rwanda sold 100% sales of gorilla permits and even some bookings turned down by tour operators, today it is a different case. In June – September of 2019, there are bookings that do not exceed even 30%. Gorilla permits are still available yet in the neighboring Uganda, there are almost no spaces for gorilla permits if you are looking at traveling between June to September, the peak season when most travelers visit Africa.

After the increment, Uganda sales have purged. Rwanda has become a transit destination rather than the final destination for tourists. Many tourists travel through Rwanda to access the Virunga National Park of Congo as well as Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga National Parks of Uganda. It’s is noted most tour operators switched to promoting trips that start from Kigali accessing Uganda and DR Congo. There are 2 days Uganda Gorilla trek that is doing better compared to 1 day and 2 days Rwanda Gorilla safari.

Tour operators in Uganda are arguing Uganda Wildlife and UTB not to be tempted to follow Rwanda. I tried to consult from RDB reservation office; the reservationists do confirm that the sales declined compared to the previous month before the hiking of the costs. On the other hand, reservationists at Uganda Wildlife Authority are thanking God for what Rwanda did.

The increment of the gorilla permit has also bitten hard the lodge owners. Most lodge owners are soon quitting the business except when something new is done. Lodges go empty and the room occupancy rate is almost zero for safari lodges that targeted budget travelers as well as backpackers!

WHAT FORCED RWANDA TO INCERASE THE PRICES FOR GORILLA PERMIT?

Conservation purposed – It should be noted that for the past year, Rwanda has been receiving more trekkers compared to Uganda. It is noted that the habitat for Gorillas has been put on high pressure thus a need to reduce the number of trekkers to conserve Gorillas and their habitats.

Profit maximization – Rwanda wanted to increase the profits obtained from the selling of Gorilla permits. Previously, each permit was sold at US$ 750 and it is now doubled meaning 100% increase.

Miscalculations done by RDB officials – it was a mess done by top officials in Rwanda development board. They thought that as soon as they have increased to costs, Uganda will follow but it’s not the case. More visitors have decided to go to Uganda to avoid much expenditure.

We are still guessing that Rwanda may reduce the costs after realizing a decline in sales or they may catch up in future – let’s wait and see.

]]>https://www.eastafricapost.com/business/gorilla-permit-increment-affects-rwanda-economy/feed/0Lake Albert Death Toll Rises to 15https://www.eastafricapost.com/news/uganda/lake-albert-death-toll-rises/
https://www.eastafricapost.com/news/uganda/lake-albert-death-toll-rises/#respondTue, 21 May 2019 11:11:38 +0000https://www.eastafricapost.com/?p=282The joint search of the Uganda Police, the Uganda People’s Defense Forces marines and the local fishermen has so far retrieved 16 bodies from Lake Albert Accident that happened on Sunday 19, 2019.

According to the latest statment, six more bodies have been recovered from the lake. These bodies have been identified as Ayiyorwotha Komakech, a male juvenile, 15years, Kyoshaba Bob, 28yrs, Balikenda Kisembo, 20yrs, Adinan Oscar, 18yrs, Pirwoth Opek Rwoth, 20yrs and Jango Filisido, 26yrs.

It has been established that the boat was transporting a local football team and fans, from Foso Landing Site to Runga Landing Site, in Kigorobya, Hoima district. The boat capsized a few minutes after it had taken off on Sunday. A total of 32 occupants managed to survive after they were rescued, while others swam to the shores.

“We want to commend the search teams for their efforts in finding the bodies of all missing persons that drowned in the lake. The tragic incident demonstrates how the industry is still full of operators who ignore safety recommendations thus making passengers vulnerable as they travel on waters,” Police said in a statement.

Police have urged all boat operators on Ugandan waters to adhere to the maritime safety precautions in place and also work closely with the inspectors from the Ministry of Works and Transport, to streamline their operation on the waters.

The incident is currently under investigation after it was established that the landing site is ungazetted, no life jackets and manifests or registers for passengers, the boats are neither inspected nor licensed to operate, and with no established management structures in place.

]]>https://www.eastafricapost.com/news/uganda/lake-albert-death-toll-rises/feed/0The 6 Most Popular Places to Visit in Ugandahttps://www.eastafricapost.com/travel/popular-places-to-visit-in-uganda/
https://www.eastafricapost.com/travel/popular-places-to-visit-in-uganda/#respondMon, 20 May 2019 19:58:53 +0000https://www.eastafricapost.com/?p=273Famously known as the Pearl of Africa, Uganda is the 3rd largest country in East Africa. This relatively small country is one of the best adventure travel destinations due to its unique wildlife, diverse landscape scenery and incredible beauty. Uganda is most famous for its wildlife most especially the mountain gorillas that live in two protected areas. It is well known that Uganda hosts almost half of the mountain gorilla population in the world. The country is full of amazing safari opportunities for every kind of traveler whether you are an adventure seeker or a leisure holiday maker. Uganda stands out as the country with friendliest people, rich history, culture and food. There is a lot of debate about the places to visit Uganda with each traveler preferring his list! However the Uganda Guide lists the best six places not to miss in Uganda that you need to discover and get to see lots of the best kept secrets of the country.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the most famous of Uganda’s national parks. This UNESCO world heritage site is definitely a must visit for travelers looking to see the wild mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. The impenetrable forest is an ancient rain forest with diverse ecosystems that provide home to 400 individuals half of the world’s mountain gorilla population.

Gorilla trekking is the most popular wildlife tour with a guarantee to encounter some of the 14 gorilla families which have been habituated. You can trek gorillas for 1 hour or up to 4 hours with trackers and researcher when you book for habituation experience.

The best way to visit these endangered primates is an organized tour and knowing the area you’re going to trek gorillas from.

Rwenzori Mountains National park

Rwenzori Mountains National Park has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1991. The park covers an area of 120 square km and protects a natural of wonder of the world. Mount Rwenzori’s permanent glaciated peaks of Magherita rises at 5,109 meters above sea level are the 3rd tallest in Africa. Due to permanent melting snow, the area is largest store of fresh water with several glacial lakes and source of many rivers and streams including the Nile the longest in the world. Rwenzori has all the five distinctive types of montane vegetation zones making this place a natural botanical haven hotspot for hikers, tropical snow mountain climbers, nature lovers, botanists, geographers. Anyone who wants just to enjoy wonderful scenery and seeing rare birds, mammals, reptiles such as three horned chameleon should not miss visiting the Rwenzori.

Source of the Nile

The River Nile is the longest in the world (6,650 sq km and a natural wonder of the world. The real source of the Nile is found in Jinja town a beautiful town to spend a weekend holiday. Jinja is a historical town in Eastern Uganda! The explorers of the 18th century first visited the country looking for the source of the Nile till John Speke made it to the point at Jinja in 1862. There are lots of things to do in Jinja. Top adventure activities include boat cruising, kayaking, sport fishing, and safe swimming, bungee jump, horseback riding, all terrain quad biking and cycling tours that can be arranged on request. If you want to spend more time on the water, book a two day house boat safari with food and accommodation are onboard fun way to enjoy sunset and visiting local fishing villages.

Mount Elgon National Park

Mount Elgon’s Wagagai peak rises at a height of 4,321 meters above sea level. It is the 8th tallest in Africa and features the largest caldera in the world. For adventure seekers and outdoor enthusiasts, this remarkable geological formation created by volcanic eruptions around 65 million years ago has a variety of scenery including cliffs, caves, waterfalls, hot springs, gorges and natural pools, peaks, calderas that make up the giant mountain scenery truly the best in Africa. Some of these features look like they belong to an alien landscape.

There are several hiking trails for visitors to explore this rich natural beauty of Uganda. Hikers going to the summit require spending at least 5-7 days on the mountain. Bring your own tents or hire one upon arrival. No technical equipment is needed to hike this mountain. There are porters, cooks to hire and you’re escorted by rangers and guides.

Lake Bunyonyi

This is the “Switzerland of Africa”! This is the second deepest fresh water lake in Africa with 900 meters in depth. Lake Bunyonyi consists of 19 islands and the surrounding terraced rolling hills create admirable scenery. The lakeside makes it possible for you spend nights on a trip in one of the resorts, camps, home stays and lodges. Many of them offer a traditional touch and arrange village visits for you to discover history and culture of the rural people including school children and Batwa pygmies. Tourism is helping to bring market for their fresh vegetables and fruits, honey and meat.

Lake Bunyonyi is one of the safest lakes for swimming in East Africa. The water has no parasites, crocodiles or hippos but with lots of birds African fish eagle, sunbirds and weaver birds. Visitors can take boat rides or traditional canoes to several islands in afternoon or morning. You can enjoy swimming, nature walks, hiking, birding, biking etc.

Murchison Falls National Park

One of the best wildlife viewing parks in Uganda, Murchison Falls National Park is the most beautiful and scenic national park. Named after the Spectacular Murchison Falls, the park has diverse habitats which include Nile-Delta wetland, dry savannah plains dotted with palms and acacia. The Nile runs through the park giving life to wildlife including 76 species of mammals and 451 birds.

Game drives with a ranger offer sightings of elephants, lions, leopards, buffalos, giraffes, Uganda Kob among several antelopes, hartebeest. You can take nature walks that are great ways to spot rare birds like shoebill stork is usually spotted in the delta swamp.

There are lots of more places to explore in Uganda and the above are just some of the interesting destinations that you can choose from to put on your list!

]]>https://www.eastafricapost.com/travel/popular-places-to-visit-in-uganda/feed/0Call of the Wild in Ugandahttps://www.eastafricapost.com/travel/call-of-the-wild-in-uganda/
https://www.eastafricapost.com/travel/call-of-the-wild-in-uganda/#respondSat, 18 May 2019 20:52:27 +0000https://www.eastafricapost.com/?p=264It wasn’t part of the plan. We were merely supposed to sit in a safari jeep and cruise on a designated path through the sprawling Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda.

My group of Malaysian travellers were promised the abundant sights of hippopotamus, antelopes, kob, chimpanzees, buffaloes, elephants and baboons.

The ranger said that if we were lucky, we might even see tree-climbing lions, but conceded that chances were slim. Understandably, he didn’t want to raise our expectations.

This is, after all, Uganda, not Kenya or Tanzania where the safari is much bigger and has more animals. Basically, Uganda is always under the radar when it comes to African safari game park. But we certainly got more than we bargained for.

My travelling companion, Rong, must have super bionic eyes. While travelling on the dusty trail, with most of us drowsy in the afternoon heat, he suddenly asked the ranger to stop the vehicle. He thought he’d seen a lion in the distance.

None of us saw anything. But thanks to technology, I could snap a picture using my mobile phone. When I enlarged the picture, we could clearly see the head of a lioness, eyeing an unsuspecting animal close by. She was well camouflaged amidst the thick scrub and long grass.

We urged our ranger to drive down the slope and head towards that direction.

We were in luck, because after driving a short distance, we chanced upon the female lion. Her “meal” looked like a warthog, and it was still fresh meat.

There were no vultures or hyenas to pick on the leftovers yet. The ranger speculated that she was pregnant, trying to sound authoritative and knowledgeable, but we were thrilled out of our minds to bother listening.

The encounter was just too close and too spectacular. We could see her breathing heavily as her ears twitched to our presence, and of course, we saw her large, vigilant eyes.

She wasn’t perturbed as she sensed she wasn’t being threatened, and it helped, too, that she had just eaten.

She didn’t look intimidating, but we knew better than to push our luck. We were so close to her that we didn’t even need zoom lenses to capture this magical moment. Our handphones were good enough to take pictures and videos with.

She was a real beauty, and we instantly understood why lions are the symbols for power, aggression and might. However, the big cat displayed no intimidation tactics or growls of threat, and merely gazed at us.

Kob at QE Park Uganda

After being glued to the spot for a good 25 minutes, we decided it was time to leave this beautiful animal before we test her patience with our intrusion into her territory.

As we excitedly compared pictures and patted ourselves on the back, we had to tell the equally excited ranger to keep his hands on the wheel. He had earned his bragging rights, as he quickly called the other rangers to tell them what he had just seen. We were sure other vehicles would be headed in our direction.

But there was more excitement in this part of Uganda, although the 1,978sq km Queen Elizabeth National Park is lesser known than others. The park extends from Lake George in the north-east, to Lake Edward in the south-west and includes the Kazinga Channel, which connects the two great lakes.

It’s home to 95 mammal and more than 500 bird species, and the 32-km long Kazinga Channel is the habitat to the world’s largest concentration of hippos and many Nile crocodiles, which are easily spotted along the banks.

Elephants Catching a Drink at the Kazinga Channel, Uganda

I took a two-hour boat ride along the edge of the channel and saw some of the most amazing and incredible scenes I have ever witnessed in my life.

I saw the giant Nile monitor lizard, said to be one of the biggest lizards, along with a wealth of bird life. The rangers patiently pointed out the different species of the feathered creatures, telling us about their unique calls. These animals were in abundance along the river.

While Queen Elizabeth Park isn’t in the same league as Masai Mara in Kenya, or the Serengeti in Tanzania, it’s home to about 2,500 elephants, 5,000 hippos and more than 10,000 buffaloes.

According to writer Matthias Mugisha, the area was first declared a game reserve in 1906, to prevent unregulated hunting, but was later gazetted as a National Park in 1952.

“Animal species such as chimpanzees and more than 600 species of birds compose a section of the large animal varieties in the park.

“Nowhere in the country can one find a park dotted with numerous craters than this park,” he wrote.

Hippos at the Kazinga Channel

Driving past the open fields, on the road to the channel, I lost count of the number of huge elephants we saw, their huge and mighty tusks sadly still a source of poaching.

Then, there were the olive baboons. Unsurprisingly, we were advised to keep our windows shut when we met them.

There’s no way visitors to this place could ever miss them. They were walking in groups along the stretch of road heading to the park, even coming close to the lodges where tourists stay.

They were big and they looked mean, and no one forgets their glare! Seen in packs like that, they reminded me of the nastier-looking extras from the Planet of the Apes series of movies. We were rightfully advised not to feed or be friendly with them. While they may resemble humans, they’re as wild as they come.

“Named for their green-grey coats, Olive baboons (Papio anubis) are among the most wide-ranging of the Old World monkeys, found in a strip of 25 African countries that stretch along or near the equator, nearly coast to coast.

“They can live in groups of 15 to 150, and are made up mostly of females and their young. Over a half mile stretch of road, we probably encountered at least 80 or so; most didn’t seem as excited to see us as we were to see them, but quite a few played along, posing for photos before disappearing into the forest or, at the very least, like this trio, sitting and moping in the slight but steady rain,” according to the Piran Café site.

The visit to Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth Park was supposed to be the sideshow to our main event – seeing mountain gorillas at the nearby Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, where we tracked up the dense, volcanic mountains and its rough terrain to reach these gentle giants. This is the home of the world’s remaining mountain gorilla population.

But our chance encounter with the lion, which was nothing short of up close and personal, was equally exciting and memorable.

]]>https://www.eastafricapost.com/travel/call-of-the-wild-in-uganda/feed/07 Things that Make Uganda a Unique Destinationhttps://www.eastafricapost.com/travel/things-that-make-uganda-unique/
https://www.eastafricapost.com/travel/things-that-make-uganda-unique/#respondSat, 18 May 2019 20:23:13 +0000https://www.eastafricapost.com/?p=279Uganda is less known destination on the African continent but its sheer variety of national parks sets it apart from other safari destinations in East Africa. Located just astride the Equator, Uganda is a growing travel destination. With a wide range of unique places and attractions, if you are looking for an exotic destination for your African safari, look for no further! The Ugandan Web lists some of the best things that make Uganda, a unique destination that you should consider while planning your next holiday.

The Source of River Nile in Jinja

The River Nile, notably the world’s second longest river is not only the lifeline of many nations in the world but also a remarkable unique feature that puts Uganda on the world map. Located in Jinja, the quest for the Source of the Nile ended in Uganda in 1862 when John Speke, one of the British Explorers reached the point where the Nile emerges out of the Lake Victoria. The Nile has made Jinja famous! Lots of adventure activities adventure have been developed basing on the Nile. These include white water rafting, bungee jumping, kayaking, etc.

Visitors to the source of Nile can enjoy superb boat trips around Lake Victoria and visit to the hydroelectric power plant at Owen falls dam, indulge in the adventurous bungee jumping experience, white water rafting and Kayaking in the rapids of the Nile.

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi and Mgahinga national parks

Mountain Gorilla trekking is one of the rarest encounters in the world and this can be done right in the wild jungles of Western Uganda. Uganda protects a healthy population of the endangered mountain gorillas within two protected national parks; Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National park. Almost half of the world’s mountain gorilla population is found in Uganda. This year, Uganda is the ultimate destination for gorilla trekking and it is the most popular adventure that visitors crave to do on their visit to this amazing country.

Bwindi Impenetrable National park alone consists of up to 14 habituated gorilla families that are accessed from four distinguished sectors of the park. These include Rushaga, Ruhija, Buhoma and Nkuringo region. Mgahinga National Park on the other hand is home to only one gorilla family called the Nyakagezi Group.

The Rwenzori Mountains – “mountains of the moon”:

Uganda’s Rwenzori Mountains is one of the unique tales of Uganda. Located in the south western corner, the Rwenzori Mountains are shared with the Democratic Republic of Congo and it is an adventure world of its own. Labelled the mountains of the world, the towering Rwenzori raises to height of 5,109m above sea level and presents some of the rarest adventure encounters in Africa and beyond.

The remote Rwenzori Mountains offer opportunities presents a great opportunity to hikers. The hike takes you through stunning landscapes and varied montane vegetation. Once on the top of the mountain, you will have clear views of Africa’s third-highest summit, which is one of the less explored peaks.

Climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth national park:

The Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s world biosphere reserve. It is home to one of the most elusive species including the tree climbing lions, buffaloes, elephants, hippos, leopards, etc. Looking to a wildlife safari, include Queen Elizabeth National Park in your tour itinerary and encounter these rare species! The search for the tree climbing lions that are known to lie flat on fig trees in a chilly afternoon, is one of the things you should not miss.

Queen Elizabeth National Park in addition to being home of the ‘Big 4’, also hosts interesting features! It is also an amazing destination for bird watching given that it boasts of over 605 bird species. A launch trip along the famous Kazinga channel is interesting given that you it takes you past the capital of hippos in Uganda. Other interesting animals you can see on the lake shores are solitary buffaloes, elephants that come for a drink during a hot day etc.

Equator

Uganda is home to this popular landmark, the equator! This is one of the most famous and remarkable attractions in the country. The country lies astride the Equator and there are two permanent monuments; one in Kasese and another at Kayabwe along Masaka Road. The Equator divides the earth into the southern and northern hemispheres!

The Kayabwe landmark is much developed and it is the most common in pictures. It is located 70 km away from Kampala towards the south west direction, taking about one hour to reach from the city. This point offers a perfect stopover while en route to the south western based national parks, including Lake Mburo National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park and the famous Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Ugandan culture:

Uganda is a culturally diverse country with over 56 different tribal groups, featuring a variety of customs and ancient traditions that combine to make Uganda a remarkable destination.

There are over 52 tribal groups in Uganda with some organized in respective monarchical kingdoms and chiefdoms. Notable popular kingdoms include the popular Buganda Kingdom, Bunyoro kingdom, Tooro kingdom, Busoga kingdom etc. Some chiefdoms include Acholi, Lango, and Rwenzururu among others.

These tribal groups are centers of amazing culture, unique heritage and a rich history, which can be portrayed through dances, norms, languages, appearance, dressing and behaviors. Despite of this tribal diversity, Ugandan people are one of the most warm and hospitable in the world. For years they have been living in harmony with each other regardless of their cultural and language, and also they are so friendly to outsiders.

All the diverse cultures in Uganda present special and unique cuisines that are both tasty and interesting to explore. Baganda’s Luwombo is a traditional delicacy in the central Uganda, Eshabwe is a treasure for Banyankole, Atapa (local millet bread) synonymous with the Iteso; and Marakwang is a sauce for Acholi and Langi.

Lake Bunyonyi

Lake Bunyonyi is situated in the southwestern part of Uganda between Kabale and Kisoro. It is encircled by 29 separate islands. The lake is also surrounded by terraced hills and magnificent natural landscape that protrudes from the neighborhood.

Lake Bunyonyi is believed to be the second deepest lake in Africa after Lake Tanganyika. The lake enjoys moderate temperature all year round; the lake is situated 1,962m above sea level and this makes the weather around it cool both in the morning and evening hours.

Lake Bunyonyi is thought to have been formed about 8,000 years ago due to the lava flow from the local craters which blocked off the Ndego River in the present day Muko to create a natural dam. The lake covers a total surface area of about 60km sq. but forming the core of 180km sq. wetland ecosystem. Dotted with about 29 islands of various shapes and sizes across the water, it is encircled by steep terraced hills; Lake Bunyonyi is a magical spot that deserves to be on bucket list for your safari in Africa because the place ought to be considered one of the natural world wonders that one ought not to miss encountering.

]]>https://www.eastafricapost.com/travel/things-that-make-uganda-unique/feed/0Uganda Government Asks For More Time To Effect Electoral Law Reformshttps://www.eastafricapost.com/politics/uganda-government-to-effect-electoral-law-reforms/
https://www.eastafricapost.com/politics/uganda-government-to-effect-electoral-law-reforms/#respondWed, 15 May 2019 20:06:47 +0000https://www.eastafricapost.com/?p=276Attorney General William Byaruhanga has asked for some more days to table electoral reforms. According to Byaruhanga, government will table the proposed reforms within a period of ten days.

He disclosed this while updating plenary on the progress on tabling the proposed electoral reforms.

Some of the recommendations for the reforms are; extension of the filing and determination period of presidential election petitions to 60 days to enable the concerned parties and court to adequately prepare and present their case, enacting a law to bar the involvement of public servants from meddling in elections and punishment of media houses, which refuse to grant equal airtime to all presidential candidates among others.

]]>https://www.eastafricapost.com/politics/uganda-government-to-effect-electoral-law-reforms/feed/0CNN Lists Bwindi National Park Among Top 5 African Parkshttps://www.eastafricapost.com/travel/cnn-lists-bwindi-among-top-5-african-parks/
https://www.eastafricapost.com/travel/cnn-lists-bwindi-among-top-5-african-parks/#respondSun, 28 Apr 2019 08:42:53 +0000https://www.eastafricapost.com/?p=7The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has been listed among the top 5 African parks. This world known park is one of the few African UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It has been listed by the Cable News Network, an American news channel .

Located in South Western Uganda, the ancient forests of Bwindi are among the richest ecosystems in Africa. It is a home to a great number of species including; 200 different species of trees, 120 species of mammals, 27 species of frogs, geckos and chameleons, 220 species of butterflies, 348 species of birds and other endangered species in their natural habitat. The park offers an amazing opportunity to see the endangered mountain gorillas upclose in their natural habitat. The park is inhabited by about 440 individual mountain gorillas known as the Bwindi population, which makes up almost half of all the mountain gorillas in the world. The rest of the worldwide mountain gorilla population is in the nearby Virunga Mountains. Today there are 17 habituated mountain gorilla groups that are open to touristic visits. These groups are spread over four different sectors of Buhoma, Ruhijja, Rushaga and the Nkuringo.

The park is managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, a governmental parastatal responsible for conserving wildlife and managing national parks and game reserves in the country.

Bwindi is one of Uganda’s most remarkable destinations for visitors taking adventure safaris in Uganda. All year round the park receives a good number of visitors who come to see the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. The park hosts almost half of the remaining world population of the endangered mountain gorillas with the remnant population living in the Virunga Volcanoes that spread over Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Due to the above, the park has been recognized on several basis by different media plat forms i.e. named among the best 35 romantic places a couple must visit in their life time by the Business Insider and also recently when it was named among the top 5 tourist destination 2017 by CNN. This makes it among the best and most selling destinations in Africa.

Visitors to the park can engage in lots of adventure activities! This is the best national park for mountain gorilla trekking, a unique wildlife experinece which involves visitors hiking into the impenetrable jungles in search of the gigantic mountain gorillas. These great apes are worthy visiting and a journey to the family takes from 3 hours to a full day experience. A permit to see the mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park costs USD600 for a one hour stay with the great apes or USD 1500 for a full day gorilla habituation experience.

Tourism is conducted along guidelines of ecotourism and sustainability. Numbers of visitors going on gorilla treks are restricted to only 8 people tracking each habituated gorilla group. This helps to protect the endangered gorilla families from getting used to human activities and interference. Gorilla watching is restricted to strictly 1 hour. In the national park, rough paths weave amid dense forests, which are home to many butterflies and birds. There are several lodges and hotels near the gorilla parks. You chose to stay in any of these lodges. The choice of the lodge depends on you budget. The lodges range from Budget to Luxury

Besides gorilla trekking there are many exciting activities that can be done in Bwindi. These include among others;

Nature walks through different trails. A nature walk to Bwindi impenetrable forest where you may get the chance to see the hidden gem of the crystal clear waterfalls in the thick rain forest.

Cultural tours like visiting the Batwa culture. Learn how they used to survive in the forest and some of the ways of life e.g how to light fire using sticks, hunting etc.

]]>https://www.eastafricapost.com/travel/cnn-lists-bwindi-among-top-5-african-parks/feed/0South Sudan Admitted In East African Communityhttps://www.eastafricapost.com/politics/south-sudan-admitted-in-eac/
https://www.eastafricapost.com/politics/south-sudan-admitted-in-eac/#respondFri, 04 Mar 2016 19:50:44 +0000https://www.eastafricapost.com/?p=235South Sudan has been admitted as the 6th Country in EAC today thereby increasing the East African Community market to 162 million people, according to the EAC publicist Mr. Richard Owora.

He confirmed to The East Africa Post that South Sudan was admitted at the 17th Ordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State held at Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge, South of Arusha, Tanzania.

He explained that the treaty establishing the EAC says that new members are admitted if they respect the principles of democracy, rule of law, accountability, transparency and social justice.

The treaty also says the countries must, besides being geographically near any of the existing members, practice “equal opportunities, gender equality as well as the recognise, promote and protect rights in accordance with the provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”

South Sudan applied to join the EAC soon after it gained independence in July 2011.

However, after negotiations, EAC summit of heads in Kampala recommended that Juba’s application be speeded up for a possible admission before the end of 2014.

However, this never happened because the country plunged into a brutal civil war.

But the process resumed last year even as the UN, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch accused the government and rebels of committing war crimes.

At the ongoing summit former Tanzanian president Benjamin William Mkapa was appointed new facilitator of the ongoing Burundi negotiations to replace Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni.

The summit also appointed Mr Liberat Mfumukeko from Burundi as the new Secretary General (S.G) effective next month. He has been the deputy secretary general of EAC in charge of Finance and administration

]]>https://www.eastafricapost.com/politics/south-sudan-admitted-in-eac/feed/0EALA Wants Work Permits Abolishedhttps://www.eastafricapost.com/business/eala-wants-work-permits-abolished/
https://www.eastafricapost.com/business/eala-wants-work-permits-abolished/#respondWed, 02 Mar 2016 17:36:03 +0000http://td_uid_69_5ce04283a5324If one evaluates the revenue generated from work and resident permits and compares it with that earned from taxes, one wonders which of the two generates higher revenue?

That question must have lingered in the minds of the members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) members when Mr Chris Opoka (Uganda) made his contribution on the petition to the assembly regarding work/residence permits in the EAC.

Partner States should analyse the percentage of revenues earned from work permits vis a vis investment projects and the opportunities including payment of taxes and creation of jobs as a result for EA citizens.

Work and resident permits major impediments to attraction of investments in the region thus killing opportunities that come with projects.

It costs about $3000 for a work permit per a year in some of the Partner States of the East African Community (EAC) compared to $155 in a developed country like Canada,” Mr. Opoka said.

“This is however against the agreed principle that the region must become an investment destination. If it is about revenue, we can earn much more if people work and they get taxed instead of charging high taxes on permits,” he added. “It is not developmental if the cost of issuing permits is high, this stops people from coming to work, to invest and to develop.”

EAC steps up efforts to curb tax evasion

NAIROBI -Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda recently struck a deal to jointly clear cargo at the Kilindini port as part of efforts by the EAC Partner States to operationalize seamless regional trade.

Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) commissioner-general John Njiraini said the regional cargo tracking system that includes monitoring consignments on transit on a single electronic platform would enable the three countries to seamlessly monitor cargo from Mombasa to Kigali and eventually Juba, curbing revenue leaks.

“This approach will remove the opportunities presently exploited by crooks at the changeover of seals at border points by requiring affixation of only one seal to be disarmed on arrival at destination,” he said.